


Always

by DinoDina



Category: Doctor Who (2005), Torchwood
Genre: Children of Earth Fix-It, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-24
Updated: 2017-01-24
Packaged: 2018-09-19 17:38:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,524
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9452621
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DinoDina/pseuds/DinoDina
Summary: Jack leaves with the Doctor once again. This time, Ianto follows him to return his coat and wriststrap. Jack doesn't want to leave, but thinks that it is his only choice. The Doctor gets involved, and things become a bit complicated.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Written on 11-04-14. Cross-posted on ffn.

Ianto would always love Jack. The Captain was the first, and only, man Ianto had loved. Ianto was young, but he had already experienced enough heartbreak to last anyone a lifetime. Not that he had a long life to live. No, when one worked for Torchwood, one's life expectancy was five years after employment. Ianto was going into his seventh year, and living on borrowed time.

But he didn't complain. He had amazing friends and co-workers, even if some of them (Owen) hated him. He had an amazing lover.

And that was where his problems started. Jack was beautiful, brave, and loving. Ianto knew he was in love. But Jack was his boss and hated labels. Now, Ianto was an archivist who lived and worked for neatness and organization, but contrary to popular belief, he was not tormented by the mystery and uncertainty of his and Jack's relationship. They were doing well, and the sex was amazing. If it went that the day would end with him and Jack in each other's arms, he would gladly go through the day with Owen's taunts and Gwen's sympathetic glances.

Ianto had no doubts about their relationship. He knew that one day he would grow old and die, or be killed by an alien, and that Jack would go on living, like he always did. He knew that Jack was a 51st century guy, with needs and wants that required more than he could give. At first, those needs and wants came home with Jack, and Ianto became involved with them as well. Now, however, he could swear that Jack and him was exclusive. Despite the struggles and unusual terms of their relationship, Ianto accepted it.

Apparently, Jack didn't. It wasn't long after Owen almost died at Aaron Copley's hand that Jack turned to Ianto, gave him a helpless look, a kiss, and, grabbing his backpack, ran out of the room and Ianto's life.

Ianto, despite what his teammates would think, was not surprised. As far as he was concerned, it was bound to happen one day. It just happened earlier than he thought it would. When he later looked at the CCTV for that day on the Plass, Ianto saw that Jack had wandered aimlessly around Cardiff before going to the fountain and staring at it. Ianto saw the TARDIS materialize and Jack go in.

The TARDIS, a day later, was still there. Ianto fingered Jack's coat and looked at the wriststrap that was left on the dinner table. Both were forgotten at his flat by their owner in his haste. He knew that Jack wanted, and needed, those objects, so he made up his mind.

Ianto stood in front of the blue police box, clutching the coat and wriststrap. Taking a deep breath, he knocked on the door. A young-looking man with floppy hair and a ridiculous bow tie opened it.

"Doctor," Ianto said, because only the alien could look like that. "Jack forgot his coat."

"So _you're_ Ianto!" he grabbed Ianto's hand and dragged him into the TARDIS. "I hope you know how to bring Jack out of a mood."

"I do," Ianto said.

Apparently, that was all the Doctor needed, as he pointed Ianto down the hall. Ianto took the coat and vortex manipulator and went to find Jack. He stopped at a door he hoped was the right one. It had to have been, because it was the only one there. The TARDIS must have made all the other ones disappear to make the search easier. He entered without knocking and saw a sullen Jack lying on a bed.

"Sir," he said to get the Captain's attention.

"Ianto?" Jack sat up. "You're not supposed to be here."

"You forgot your coat," Ianto explained. "And your wriststrap."

"Thank you," Jack took the objects from him.

"My pleasure," Ianto tried not to shift awkwardly.

"You have to go," Jack's expression became dark and he turned away from Ianto.

"What about the Team?" Ianto asked. "I'm not asking about myself, I'm not asking for you to stay. I just want to know what to tell them."

"Tell them I found my Doctor," Jack looked thoughtful. "Again."

"Alright," Ianto turned away to leave.

"Wait," Jack said frantically. "You know I love you, right?"

"And I love you, Jack," they had never exchanged those words before. "And that's why you have to leave."

Jack threw himself into Ianto's steady arms and held on tight.

"I don't want to," he whimpered.

"Me neither," Ianto answered, his voice tight. "But it _is_ your decision."

"I can't stay, Ianto," Jack sighed. "You'll die. Torchwood or no Torchwood, you'll leave me."

"It's up to you," Ianto reminded him again.

"I can't," Jack sounded helpless.

"I know."

What followed was wild. It was fast, desperate, passionate. It turned soft, careful, gentle. It was final.

As Ianto lay in Jack's tight grip, he could almost forget why the night had been so good. It was like they were cramming everything they didn't get to do into that one time. It was like they wanted to draw it out. They wanted to last. But they couldn't.

"I have to go."

That had been Ianto. He was happy to find that his eyes had dried during the night (or something. You never know on a spaceship that traveled in time). He didn't want Jack to see him cry, to show his emotions. If he cried, he would be admitting what was happening. He made no move to leave Jack's embrace, no move to end this.

"Stay."

Ianto did.

He didn't know how long they stayed like this, unmoving, together. But it was time to go. No amount of begging, of pleading, would stop them. Both knew what they had to do. And their hearts, no matter how broken they already were, would take it.

It seemed like Ianto was more ready than Jack for the separation. Like he was fine with leaving the man he loved and never seeing him again. His voice was steady, as was his body.

Jack, who, when Ianto stood up to leave, had stayed on the bed and started brooding. Now, though, when Ianto turned to say goodbye, he jumped up.

"Ianto," he said quickly. "Let me walk you out."

When they reached the TARDIS' "front door", it was still light outside, just like it was when Ianto came to Jack. Still or again, they didn't know. Either way, they had too little time together. Ianto and Jack exchanged a hug and a mournful look before opening the door.

And promptly being trampled by the Doctor and a brunette, possibly his companion.

"Run!" the Doctor gasped, out of breath.

Just as Jack and Ianto were picking themselves off the floor, the TARDIS doors flew open once more, swinging flimsily as if they really were wooden.

"You said the doors couldn't be opened!" the girl cried to the Doctor, ignoring Jack and Ianto.

"Put those down!" the Doctor ignored her exclamation in favor of the two Torchwood employees who had drawn their guns.

Ianto looked sheepish while Jack was ready to argue. Neither had a chance to do anything, however, due to the large, purple, and clearly pissed off alien in the middle of the doorway. The Doctor quickly ushered his companion behind him, shielding her with his thin body.

"Doctor!" the alien thundered.

"Run," the Doctor whispered to the girl, motioning the same to Jack and Ianto, who adamantly shook their heads.

She, with a helpless look at the Timelord, tan to the other side of the room and hid behind a column.

"What do you want?" the Doctor demanded. "Who are you?"

"Don't play games with me, Timelord," the blob-like alien spat. "You know exactly who I cam. You know where I'm from. Where I _was_ from."

" _Was_ from?" the Doctor repeated.

"You destroyed my home!" it roared, pointing a dangerous-looking gun at the Doctor.

"You don't want to do this," his hands up in defense, the Doctor walked closer to the hostile alien.

"I think I do."

The gun was moved swiftly from the Doctor to Ianto. When the alien quickly shot, Ianto's eyes widened. He flew back into the Console, blood freely pouring from a wound in his head. Jack, enraged, answered with a shot of his own before running to his lover.

"Jack, don't!" the Doctor cried, grabbing the man's shoulders and dragging him away from Ianto. "Close your eyes!"

Jack, for once, did as he was told. The Doctor, despite his strangeness, was not a ruthless man. He would not keep Jack away from Ianto at a time like this. Jack didn't like it.

As the Doctor, Jack, and the companion closed their eyes and turned their heads, the Console, shaken by its collision with Ianto, opened. A bright light, seemingly gold, white, and silver, erupted from it and enveloped Ianto. He murmured something, even though he shouldn't have been able to before taking a deep breath and coughing loudly.

Jack tried to rip himself away from the Doctor's grip, but the Timelord, despite his build, held on tight and kept him in place. But when the light faded away, when Ianto was alone in the dark again, he let the Captain go.

"Ianto, Ianto, wake up," Jack ran to Ianto.

He fell to his knees and took the other man's head into his lap, stroking his hair.

"Ianto, it's okay," he reassured. "Come on, come on. . ."

Jack knew it was futile. It always was.

But Ianto was still breathing. Kind of. Jack was sure of it. Almost sure. Like, 0% sure. He _was_ alive. Was, was, was.

In the time Jack was reassuring his lover, Ianto had stopped breathing and his heart had stopped beating. At least, in Jack's point of view. It was better to think that Ianto had d—had _gone_ in his arms.

"What happened, Doctor?" the girl asked him behind Jack, who didn't hear her.

"I don't know, Clara," he whispered in return.

"Who was is?" she asked again.

"I don't know," the Doctor turned angry. "Dammit, I don't even know what planet he was from!"

Clara removed her hand from his shoulder and took a step back with a small gasp. The Doctor looked as though he would start pacing, but instead went over to Jack. Clara, who now seemed to be a permanent companion instead of a visitor, followed several steps behind him.

"Jack," the Doctor leaned down and put his hand on Jack's shoulder, only to have it shaken off. "Jack, look at me."

"Ianto," Jack continued, completely oblivious to the Doctor and Clara. "Please come back."

"Doctor, who is he?" Clara wondered, looking warily at the Torchwood employees.

"Jack!" the Doctor shook his shoulder lightly.

"What?" Jack growled.

"Look out."

Jack furrowed his eyebrows, not understanding. He turned back to Ianto. He didn't need to "look out" for anything. The alien was dead, Ianto was—

Just as the Doctor said his name again, Jack felt a hand grab his upper arm as a wild scream tore through the TARDIS. Instinctively, he tightened his hold on Ianto, but that only caused the screaming to grow more desperate and the grip around his arm tighten.

Jack would know that grip anywhere. It was Ianto. The screaming? Ianto, as well.

So he loosened his grip around his dead—formally dead—lover. With room to breathe, Ianto stopped flaying around in Jack's arms.

"Ianto?" Jack whispered.

"Yeah," Ianto nodded, then groaned. "Ow."

"'Ow'." Jack repeated, chuckling. "You die, and the first thing you say is 'ow'?"

"That wasn't fun," Ianto's breathing was calming down.

"It's never fun," Jack corrected, then looked at the Doctor, who had stepped back. "We're going to need answers."

"Right," the Doctor put a kettle and four mugs on the kitchen table, around which Clara, Jack, and Ianto were seated, before taking a seat himself. "Answers."

"They would be greatly appreciated," Jack answered.

"Do you have anything other than tea?" Ianto asked, looking sceptically at the various tea bags, most of which were from Earth.

"Why would I want anything other than tea?" the Doctor genuinely didn't understand Ianto's caffeine addiction, and Jack had to hide a smirk.

"The Doctor doesn't drink coffee," Jack bent over the corner of the table to tell Ianto.

Ianto's eyes widened and he looked like a man on a mission.

"What's he doing?" Clara asked, looking at Jack.

"He's thinking of what coffee to serve the Doctor when he visits the Hub," Jack explained.

"But the Doctor doesn't like coffee," Clara said, confused.

"Once he tastes Ianto's," Jack paused, looking reminiscent, "He will."

"Okay. . ." Clara nodded, doubtful.

"Anyway!" the Doctor bounced into the conversation. "Coffee making aside, you want to know what happened."

"Yeah," Jack agreed. "But we said that already."

"Alright," the Doctor pointed at Jack. "You know why you're. . . the way you are?"

"Yeah," Jack nodded. "Something to do with Rose, with Bad Wolf."

"You're right, of course," the Doctor took a sip of tea. "But it's a bit bigger than that."

"How much bigger?" Clara wondered.

"When the Daleks killed you," the Doctor began, addressing Jack more than the entire table. "You died, obviously. Rose—brave, beautiful, selfless Rose—who had absorbed the heart of the TARDIS, brought you back to life. Except she, she went a bit overboard. A lot overboard."

"She made it so I couldn't die," Jack ignored the surprised look Clara sent him.

"But!" the Doctor seemed to get excited. "But! What did she do to do that? What did she use? You know she absorbed the TARDIS' heart, but what was it?"

"Does he always sound like an overexcited professor?" Ianto quietly asked.

"No," the Doctor looked offended, then saw Clara's raised eyebrow. "Not _always_."

"Right," Ianto nodded.

"Anyway!" the Doctor exclaimed again, the table now shaking thanks to his jiggling legs. "Jack, do you know what the TARDIS' heart is?"

"No," Jack shook his head.

"The time vortex," the Doctor resisted the urge to flourish his hands and looked disappointed that no one knew what he was talking about.

"Wait," Jack's eyes widened. "The time vortex. They taught us about it in the Agency. The manipulators allow us to travel through it. You're saying that the TARDIS operates on a similar highway?"

"I wouldn't call it a highway," the Doctor crinkled his nose. "And I definitely would not compare your little space hopper to the TARDIS, but. . . yes, you're right."

"So I have the time vortex running through me?" Jack sounded even more awed.

"And now Mr. Jones does, too," the Doctor finished.

"How?" Ianto finally voiced.

"When you fell back onto the Console, you cracked it open. Don't worry, she's repaired it by now. But when you cracked it open, guess what came out?" he didn't wait for an answer. "The time vortex."

"So," Clara started, seeing as how both Jack and Ianto were speechless. "Ianto—that is your name isn't it?—is like Jack? Please tell me I remembered your names."

"Yes!" the Doctor cried, surprised that he hadn't broken out in technobabble. "Ianto, you are now officially immortal!"


End file.
